There are many aspects of sports that would seem to protect you from addiction. Regular exercise improves your mood, emotional regulation, and self-control, protecting against the depression and anxiety that often lead to substance use. Team sports add an element of social connection and a sense of belonging that can also protect against addiction. Perhaps most importantly, many substances seriously impair your ability to train and perform at a high level. Despite the benefits of participating in sports, substance use, especially drinking, is common among competitive athletes. Here’s why athletes may be at risk.
Athletes can feel a lot of pressure.
While recreational athletes may play sports purely for enjoyment and reap the benefits of regular exercise and camaraderie, competitive athletes are under much more pressure to win, whether they’re competing in high school sports or at the professional level. This pressure can come from family, teammates, and fans. Although high school sports may not seem like high stakes, athletes have to go back to class after a tough loss and teens are often not emotionally equipped to deal with the pressure of the expectations put on them. This can lead to a lot of anxiety before games and feelings of guilt and shame about failing, especially if you let down your teammates.
The team culture may include substance use.
Peer pressure is always higher on competitive teams than in the general social sphere. Competitive teams spend a lot of time together and alienation is a much bigger deal. Many teams, especially in macho sports like football, hockey, and rugby have a work-hard-play-hard attitude toward drinking. It can be hard for team members, especially younger ones, to resist that kind of peer pressure.
Athletes are prone to injury.
Trying to play hurt or trying to recover from an injury that has you out of the game can lead to dependence on painkillers. Many athletes, who would have otherwise never been exposed to opioids, have been prescribed opioid painkillers after surgery to repair an injury. Some of these athletes have developed dependence and addiction. Some athletes may also be prone to concussions. Football, hockey, and martial arts are the worst offenders, but the risk is also substantial in sports like basketball and baseball as well. Concussions, especially among children, can lead to depression and cognitive impairment, putting athletes at higher risk of addiction.
Performance enhancing drugs can be addictive.
People don’t typically think of performance enhancing drugs as addictive, but they can be. There are many different kinds of performance enhancing drugs. Most of them work by increasing your energy and endurance. Quitting them can make you feel like you’ve lost your edge. For competitive athletes whose self-worth is often linked to their performance, losing that edge can be intolerable. Unfortunately, many performance enhancing drugs can damage your health in the long run, leading to cancer and cardiovascular problems.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental illness, we can help. Recovery Ways is a premier drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have the resources to effectively treat a dual diagnosis. Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective, accessible substance abuse treatment to as many people as possible. Request information online or call us today at 1-888-986-7848.
